[chastmastr]

Originally Posted by dixie

Chelsey thinks it was Hanson?? mmbop and all that?? Yep think she's right it was just checked on Google-although I think it might have been HOB rather than PI West End stage?

Aha! Just checked --

Backstreet Boys from Orlando, FL

The current members of the Backstreet Boys had their first big concert at SeaWorld Grad Night, just 2 weeks after Brian joined the group. For exposure the group continued working at local malls, Pleasure Island, area nightclubs and restaurants. Within 6 months of forming, they were considered to be one of Florida's hottest acts.

I didn't know who they were at the time but I'm fairly sure I saw them there once at PI in, like, 1994 or 1995, before they hit it big. Alas, I didn't pay much attention...

David

[Prezcatz]

Originally Posted by jo-jo

I know my DS isn't happy. I realize disney is thinking "why have all this space and it used for only 6 hrs every evening, when we can put stores in and be busy 12 hrs a day". But for the "traveling to disney without kids" group, I think clubs were part of their plans. I know I thought my DS would love staying at SSR, just so he could walk home from the clubs. He is not the "spend hours shopping" type.

Agreed...this was one of the few "adults only" places in the world, and now it will be gone. Boardwalk just doesn't have the same feel. At least we will get to experience at our August trip. What will they try and 'market' now to the 20-somethings crowd w/out kiddos?

Prezcatz Paul

[whitba]

I've been busy and haven't hit MB for a while. Glad I checked in today - PI closing - I had no idea. We've tried repeatedly to get there but haven't been successful. It's on our list again this year and now we'll have to make it a priority. We've always wanted to hit the Adventurers Club and the Comedy Club and now that the boys have decided they want to go, this will be the year. Last Chance.

I can understand the revamp, in the daylight it all looks a little seedy, but I hope they incorporate the nightlife/club feel. It would be a shame if it was all more retail space and I think a more grown up "Disney" area has value.

Didn't they just renovate the Adventures Club??

[LRTJS]

I used to stroll through there at night when they had the options on our tickets. The only thing I ever really liked was The Adventurerers Club....very different and a lot of fun.

[mickeysgirlz]

Originally Posted by timsha

Your memory does serve you correctly. Tickets did have an option for admission to PI. You also did pay one price to enter , and you could roam into all of the clubs. Those were the days! Besides the test tubes, many years ago, they had drink specials in water / squeeze bottles, with discounts on the refills. They were very expensive, but very good.

Good to know . . . cuz some days, well my memory plays tricks on me!

[alecshawn1]

P.I. attracted alot of...shall we say "riff raff"
It is the single BEST decision Disney has done yet..To close it!
Get back to a family oriented place. (which it is happening!)
P.I. had appox 90% Non vacationers..It was just a hang out for people i want nothing to do with.
All i ever saw there was 18-26 y.o. local hoodlums.

[chastmastr]

I have to respectfully disagree, alecshawn1. We loved PI, though in its heyday it was much better. I don't want Disney to lose its one adult-specific area at all, and I think it's a tragic, terrible mistake, though the real mistake was probably in watering it down over the last few years to where it is now (no Jazz Club, no Neon Armadillo, letting children into the clubs which completely changed their tone for the worse, getting rid of the bigger fireworks show every night with the dancers, then getting rid of the nightly New Year's Eve countdown altogether, taking away the cool stuff at D'Zertz (I remember the liqueur-filled chocolate truffles fondly -- later it just became a generic Disney candy/snack store), getting rid of the Fireworks Factory restaurant (which was part of the original theming, as well, and part of the backstory involving Merriwether Pleasure, the founder of Pleasure Island)... there could have been ways of revising parts of it without losing its essential character, but they turned it into a probably-unprofitable shadow of its former self -- but some traces of glory still remained...

And what's wrong with non-vacationers going there? If the people were acting inappropriately, then that's not good wherever they're from, or for that matter whatever their age.

If it's a place you didn't personally happen to like much, then no one was making you go there and we others could have continued to enjoy it. It doesn't make it a good decision, much less the "best," for Disney to get rid of a place which is as well-beloved as PI. I say all this because your post doesn't sound as if you're eager for the stuff Disney's putting in its place, but because you just seem glad they're closing a place which I and a lot of other folks here genuinely loved, and are really sad they're closing. Kind of like when they closed Mr. Toad to put in the Pooh ride -- it's one thing to be eager for the new ride, another thing entirely to just be pleased by the end of something which gave other people happiness.

David

[alecshawn1]

Originally Posted by chastmastr

I have to respectfully disagree, alecshawn1. We loved PI, though in its heyday it was much better. I don't want Disney to lose its one adult-specific area at all, and I think it's a tragic, terrible mistake, though the real mistake was probably in watering it down over the last few years to where it is now (no Jazz Club, no Neon Armadillo, letting children into the clubs which completely changed their tone for the worse, getting rid of the bigger fireworks show every night with the dancers, then getting rid of the nightly New Year's Eve countdown altogether, taking away the cool stuff at D'Zertz (I remember the liqueur-filled chocolate truffles fondly -- later it just became a generic Disney candy/snack store), getting rid of the Fireworks Factory restaurant (which was part of the original theming, as well, and part of the backstory involving Merriwether Pleasure, the founder of Pleasure Island)... there could have been ways of revising parts of it without losing its essential character, but they turned it into a probably-unprofitable shadow of its former self -- but some traces of glory still remained...

And what's wrong with non-vacationers going there? If the people were acting inappropriately, then that's not good wherever they're from, or for that matter whatever their age.

If it's a place you didn't personally happen to like much, then no one was making you go there and we others could have continued to enjoy it. It doesn't make it a good decision, much less the "best," for Disney to get rid of a place which is as well-beloved as PI. I say all this because your post doesn't sound as if you're eager for the stuff Disney's putting in its place, but because you just seem glad they're closing a place which I and a lot of other folks here genuinely loved, and are really sad they're closing. Kind of like when they closed Mr. Toad to put in the Pooh ride -- it's one thing to be eager for the new ride, another thing entirely to just be pleased by the end of something which gave other people happiness.

David

I understand your point.
I have tried to like P.I. but i never went there when it first opened.
It MAY have been better.
Obviously Disney saw the same issues i saw.
Actually, If you check out screamscape's web site..pretty much all the reasons i dislike it IS why it was/will be closed.
ALOT and i mean ALOT of folks just was disgusted by the clientel.
Not all obviously but enough to notice.
As for adult things to do.....Thats why theres VEGAS!!
Seriously though, I think in the last few years Disney is REALLY getting back to what it was meant to be.
The parks are cleaner this year compared to just a few years ago and with all the refurbs (S.M. to be shut down in Jan or Feb) They are simply doing a great job with the parks!
To each their own but i wont miss P.I. one bit.
IMHO, if they charged say 50.00 per night to enter P.I. They NEVER would have had any issiues.

[mickeysgirlz]

Originally Posted by chastmastr

I have to respectfully disagree, alecshawn1. We loved PI, though in its heyday it was much better. I don't want Disney to lose its one adult-specific area at all, and I think it's a tragic, terrible mistake, though the real mistake was probably in watering it down over the last few years to where it is now (no Jazz Club, no Neon Armadillo, letting children into the clubs which completely changed their tone for the worse, getting rid of the bigger fireworks show every night with the dancers, then getting rid of the nightly New Year's Eve countdown altogether, taking away the cool stuff at D'Zertz (I remember the liqueur-filled chocolate truffles fondly -- later it just became a generic Disney candy/snack store), getting rid of the Fireworks Factory restaurant (which was part of the original theming, as well, and part of the backstory involving Merriwether Pleasure, the founder of Pleasure Island)... there could have been ways of revising parts of it without losing its essential character, but they turned it into a probably-unprofitable shadow of its former self -- but some traces of glory still remained...

And what's wrong with non-vacationers going there? If the people were acting inappropriately, then that's not good wherever they're from, or for that matter whatever their age.

If it's a place you didn't personally happen to like much, then no one was making you go there and we others could have continued to enjoy it. It doesn't make it a good decision, much less the "best," for Disney to get rid of a place which is as well-beloved as PI. I say all this because your post doesn't sound as if you're eager for the stuff Disney's putting in its place, but because you just seem glad they're closing a place which I and a lot of other folks here genuinely loved, and are really sad they're closing. Kind of like when they closed Mr. Toad to put in the Pooh ride -- it's one thing to be eager for the new ride, another thing entirely to just be pleased by the end of something which gave other people happiness.

David

Wow David—You just took me on a trip down MEMORY LANE! I remember when PI was THIS good!

[chastmastr]

And at least we have our memories... Maybe Disney will bring something like this back later on. (I have no interest in Vegas... and I think Disney has room for all kinds of things, adult and otherwise, which is one of the things which has made it cool in the first place.) I'm also glad they never overcharged for PI. I suppose we'll just have to disagree on all of this, alecshawn1.

Oddly, I checked ScreamScape and it says a lot of things like:

"Keeping the Adventure’s Club and Comedy Warehouse open should be given serious thought and has merit, so sign the petition ... his is just sad news thought we knew it was coming... I just thought it was going to come slowly in bits and pieces and still leave PI with at least one or two clubs intact ..."

They don't sound any happier about the closure of PI than I am, honestly. I am indeed very happy, absolutely, at cleanliness and at needed rehabs, but not at losing good stuff with a lot of happy memories.

David